CoyoteLoon

Looking for a 4* hotel in downtown Chicago for the Labor Day weekend. My strategy was a little convoluted ... I wanted to save $$$, obviously, but I was also willing to pay more to stay in the River North zone. Here's what I did ... Selected River North, 4-star, bid of $80. Rejected, no counter-offer. Selected River North+Millenium Park/Loop, 4-star, bid of $60. Rejected, no counter-offer. -- waited 24 hours. (I know I didn't have to, but I wasn't in a rush here.) Selected River North, 4-star, bid of $95. Rejected, counter-offer of $117. -- seriously thought about taking this, or coming back by adding Skokie (dead zone) and bidding something like $105. But cheapness won me over, so ... Selected River North+Millenium Park/Loop, 4-star, bid of $75. Offer ACCEPTED, for the Hyatt Regency! So I get a 4-star in downtown Chicago for Labor Day weekend, for $75. Can't complain about that. And when you check the map, it gets even better. Even though the Hyatt Regency is listed in the Millenium Park/Loop Zone, it's at the extreme northern edge, right on the river, practically on Michigan Avenue. Sweetness.

Well, after getting a 4-star in the French Quarter for $66, I had to get a room in Baton Rouge for Saturday night. I needed something in East Baton Rouge (close to the Mall of Louisiana, hopefully) ... and the highest star rating that Priceline offered was 2.5 stars. So I made a bid for $42, for one night, 2.5-star only, in East Baton Rouge. The offer was turned down, but PRICELINE made a counter-offer of $54. I guess I got greedy (or just felt like horse tradin'.) I tried re-bidding by adding a "dead zone" to my criteria ... I added the Port Allen region, which I didn't want, but which did *not* include any 2.5-star hotels. I submitted a bid for $48 and it was accepted! I got a room at the Hyatt Place Baton Rouge/I-10, which is right next to the Mall of Louisiana (a nice stroke of luck). Add on the $13.83 for taxes and fees, and I'm still happy with $61.83.

Well, for my first experience with BetterBidding, I have to say I'm very happy. A friend used your site to research Priceline bids for hotels in Toronto, and got us an amazing price. Well, I'm taking a trip to New Orleans in a couple of months, and decided to give PRICELINE a shot. Using the PRICELINE link from this website, I bid on two nights in the French Quarter (Thursday and Friday night, October 9th and 10th) and limited my search to 4-star hotels. I placed my first bid for $66 a night, and it was accepted! Hotel was the Marriott New Orleans on Canal Street. Total cost: $66 for one room, for two nights, comes to $132. Add $29.62 in taxes and fees brings the total to $161.62. That's about the best price I saw listed for just one night in a 4-star. Now to line up a room in Baton Rouge for Saturday (for a wedding), and I'm all set.